


I'll Just Wait

by RoseByAnyOtherName17



Series: The Lion, the Wolf and the Dragon [18]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Confessions, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Insecurity, Strategy & Tactics, Waiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 19:01:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15055682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseByAnyOtherName17/pseuds/RoseByAnyOtherName17
Summary: The battle never came, but a raven did."The Ironborn are attacking Dorne," Arya announced.





	I'll Just Wait

**Author's Note:**

> So they've had time to let their guard down and grow together, but I'm suspecting soon that action is on the way :) for those of you who have stuck this far, thank you so much! I'm having a wonderful time writing this series for y'all
> 
> title from the song by Emarosa

A day later, a raven came from Daenerys. “Petyr Baelish and most of the Vale army have been sent to the Wall,” Arya announced, “and it seems that the Brotherhood Without Banners has arrived at Winterfell as well.” She shared a look with Gendry, but didn’t say anything more. Later, when they were alone, she handed it to him wordlessly. There was a line underneath the rest inquiring about Catelyn Stark’s strange resurrection, but nothing accusatory. Still, it was another secret Arya had kept from the Dragon Queen that had been exposed. She would be worried about the repercussions, but what with the war going on and another war following, she felt that it wasn’t too big of a deal.

 

She hoped, anyway.

 

But it prompted her to write send a raven to Jon, asking him about Viserion and admitting she had all but sent the Brotherhood there. _I hope this war ends soon,_ she ended with. Even if she would have to fight another the moment she got home, at least she would _be_ home.

 

They were preparing for an attack from the sea, but it never came. Every day, Arya woke expecting a battle, and every night she slept uneasily, wondering if they would strike while the castle was dark. Gendry slept in the next room, despite being more comfortable in the forge, and more than once she crept in there in the middle of the night and sat up on the bed next to him, watching him dream. The third night she did this, and the seventh after the raven from Daenerys, he stirred next to her. “’Rya,” he mumbled, opening an eye to peer accusingly at her. “Y’re thinking too loud.”

 

“Sorry,” she whispered, smoothing a hand over his hair.

 

It was so out of character for her (the apology, not the touching) that he sat up too, bumping her shoulder with his own. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, clearer than before as he woke up.

 

“I just don’t like waiting,” she answered honestly. “I like having the advantage.”

 

“We have the advantage,” Gendry told her. He smothered a yawn with the back of his fist. “We have a castle and well rested men. They won’t be at peak, having sailed here.”

 

But Arya wasn’t convinced. “They love it on the water,” she insisted. “If we can’t bring them onto land…”

 

“How else would they take the castle?” Gendry put an arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side. She closed her eyes and breathed in. He was musty from sleep, but even then the smoky smell clung to him like a second skin he couldn’t shrug off. “They can’t lay siege from the sea and you heard Asha and Theon; the fleet isn’t complete.”

 

Arya let her head fall into the crook of his neck and sighed. She didn’t respond.

 

Gendry didn’t say anything more, just pressed his lips to the top of her head for a long moment and breathed with her, until they were breathing in sync. She could feel herself growing sleepy, despite the knot of worry in her stomach. Maybe this was why she couldn’t sleep; she’d grown so used to having Gendry in the same room, mere feet away. Despite Theon’s concerned looks and Daenerys’ clear uncertainty regarding them, and everyone else’s whispers. She didn’t need to hear them to know what they were saying, wondering, thinking about the two of them.

 

She knew what the feeling in her chest was. The curl of warmth every time Gendry smiled, whether it was directed at her or not (and it usually was). How her heartbeat skipped when he inserted himself into her space, like he was now, even if they were just sparring and he spun away a second later. She knew what Jon meant now, when he said she shouldn’t settle for anything less than love, if that’s what she chose. It wasn’t a choice, though, so much as a feeling that swept over her so slowly and yet so suddenly all she could do was stop and let it happen. And she didn’t mind. She liked knowing that Gendry would be at her side, and that she was at his. She liked the gentle touches that didn’t have to mean anything, but did all the same. She liked knowing where it was going and having no real rush to it. It was strange, she thought, that they were in the middle of a war, and yet they had all the time in the world. He felt the same that she did, she was sure; he didn’t need to say the words for her to feel them in her heart.

 

The thought of what Sansa might say to her when she learned Arya had fallen in love made her smile. “What is it?” Gendry questioned.

 

Arya shook her head. “Just thinking of home. It’s going to be good when we finally get there.”

 

Gendry squeezed her shoulders once. “Yeah,” he murmured. “It will be.”

 

**

 

The battle didn’t come, but a raven did.

 

“They’ve attacked the Dornish,” Arya said in shock. “They’re pillaging the coastal towns and villages.” They hadn’t seen any sign of the Ironborn in the weeks since they’d taken Storm’s End, and now she knew why. “It’s just information, they said they don’t need help, but they’re being kept busy there now. They won’t be able to help until they can subdue the Ironborn.”

 

“This is how Cersei wants to gain loyalty from the commoners?” Asha sounded disgusted. “Terrorizing the people and destroying their homes?”

 

“Cersei doesn’t care about loyalty, she cares about power,” Arya said, “so she’s keeping the Dornish busy. Arianne can’t return without leaving Casterly Rock open from the sea, which the other Ironborn fleet can move in on once they’re complete, and it probably won’t be long now. She’s besieged the Tyrells, the North is preparing for the Long Night, Riverrun must be kept by the army I left…she’s forcing an impasse. Daenerys will have to enter the fray herself to force a break.”

 

“What of the Unsullied?” Gendry questioned. “They haven’t seen any fighting yet.”

 

“Her Grace has been holding off on them, for what reason we don’t know,” Theon admitted, “but that may have to change. They may be the best solution to ending the siege on Highgarden.”

 

“The Tyrells may have supplies to withstand the siege for a long while, but with winter coming, it’ll just deplete what they’ll need for that,” Arya finished. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before; that’s what Cersei wants. If she can extend this war into the winter, there won’t be enough food to keep the men going, on either side. She knows she’s losing, but she has just enough forces to stall it. She’ll hole herself up in King’s Landing until the rest of us starve to death and when spring comes, she’ll rule over what’s left of the people without anyone in her way.”

 

“She can’t rule a people if there are no people,” Lord Wylde said.

 

“But she knows Daenerys won’t just let them suffer. She could have come to Westeros years ago, but she stayed in Slaver’s Bay until the masters were defeated. Cersei knows that, and she’s using it to her advantage. She doesn’t give a damn about the commonfolk, but Daenerys does.”

 

The Stormlords present looked mildly surprised at Arya’s language, but no comment was made other than, “She surely won’t risk the entire country for a throne that won’t exist without it.”

 

“Cersei has gone mad with power,” Arya said with utter certainty. “And she will do whatever she can to keep it.”

 

“So what do we do?” Asha inquired.

 

Arya shrugged helplessly. “We wait for the Dragon Queen’s orders. There’s nothing else we can do.”

 

**

 

She didn’t even try to sleep that night, just wandered the castle and watched the clouds roll over the stars. A storm was coming, one like she hadn’t seen before, she knew. She was almost looking forward to it. It was something to deal with while they waited for word from Daenerys, which wouldn’t come for another week at least, probably more. She supposed she should welcome the reprieve, but she had never been good at sitting still.

 

“No good will come out of you exhausting yourself,” Gendry said gently behind her.

 

She looked out over the sea. “What are you doing awake?”

 

“What are _you_ doing awake?” he echoed, coming to stand beside her now, leaning against the parapet. “Arya, this is two nights in a row.”

 

Arya bent her head forward and sighed deeply. “I need to be _doing_ something,” she said. “We’ve been here for awhile now and all we’ve done is get the Stormlords to join Daenerys.”

 

“And that’s what we were sent here to do,” Gendry reminded her.

 

“I know,” she snapped, and immediately followed with, “I’m sorry. Gods, I just – I’m not good at this.”

 

Gendry shuffled close enough to press their sides together. “You were at Riverrun for weeks before we went to the Twins. How is this different?”

 

“There were men to execute and villagers to help,” Arya explained. “I was never idle there.”

 

She felt more than saw Gendry nod. “I understand,” he said softly. “I don’t think I’ve really stood still since we left King’s Landing.” Arya stayed silent, knowing he wasn’t finished. “Maybe that’s why I’m okay with it. I’ve spent the last few years on the move; it’s nice to just be here, watching the world turn without having to be part of it. Even just for a little while. I can see the storm coming, the clouds and the water being moved with it, but right now I don’t have to face it. That’s a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, it’s just you and me.”

 

“Do you think we’ll ever be able to just…exist?” Arya asked him. “No wars, no conflict, no problems…”

 

Gendry chuckled a little. “There might be just _one_ problem.”

 

She met his gaze steadily, saw the brief unhappiness there hidden behind wry amusement. “How many times do I have to tell you?” She laced their fingers together and pulled his hand towards her so that she could hold it with both of her own. “You’re not going anywhere unless _you_ want to.”

 

“You know as well as I that it isn’t that simple,” he insisted. “It doesn’t matter what we want, not when it comes to…” He huffed out a frustrated breath. “You’re Lady Stark, possibly a princess if your brother keeps his title King in the North, and I’m just a bastard from King’s Landing that you…without the war, there would never have been a possibility of…”

 

_Oh._

 

Ever since finding him, she’d been thinking that they had all the time in the world. That once the wars were over, they could go to Winterfell and do whatever they desired, because they deserved it. She didn’t believe in happily ever after, not after everything, but if they survived this and she could keep Gendry and Jon and Sansa, perhaps it would be the closest they could get. And all this time, he had been thinking that, once the wars were over, that would be the end of this. Them.

 

“You’re important, Arya,” he continued quietly, “but when it comes down to it, I’m just a bastard. I’m a commoner like those villagers you helped in the Riverlands.”

 

He made to pull away, and that…that wasn’t acceptable.

 

“Not to me.” She tightened her grip on his hand and finally faced him head on. “Gendry, you are my…you _are_ important. You are my best friend, you’re my – gods, just forget about everything else, okay? None of that matters anymore. It doesn’t matter where you were born now, and it never will again. No, I mean it,” she interrupted him when he began to speak. “Whatever you’re thinking, just stop it, please. Believe me, Gendry, I’m not going anywhere. No one is ever going to tell us who we’re allowed to be ever again.”

 

She didn’t realize how loud her voice had gotten until there was sudden silence. Gendry was staring at her, some mixture of awe and affection on his face in the form of wide eyes that settled into a warm, soft smile. “Shut up,” she muttered, deflating a little when it widened into a grin. “I just…you should know by now. I’ve been defying Westeros my entire life, none of this should be a surprise for you.”

 

Gendry laughed outright and cupped the back of her neck with his free hand to reel her closer. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then just stayed there. Arya closed her eyes at the touch.

 

They stood still for a long time, and when they finally broke apart, she realized she wasn’t so restless anymore.


End file.
